Thunder soccer trump Vikings

By Chris Geminiano

gemi0001@algonquincollege.com

It was the kind of intensity that was needed to get through a game that ended in a 5-0 shellacking of the visiting St. Lawrence Vikings.

For most of the 90 minutes, the game was all Algonquin, as forwards Will Beague and Edgar Soglo, and midfielder Tyller Farrell-Rose added first half goals.

But as the Thunder headed for their locker room at the end of the first-half, fans from St. Lawrence began a verbal assault on the players, which led to pushing and shoving.

“I didn’t see anything,” said Thunder head coach Mike Caruso. “We ran over and just saw this big scuffle. We just told them to shut their mouths and don’t say anything stupid. We have bigger and better things to go to. These guys don’t. We clinched first place about two weeks ago. But we have to stay focused and keep training hard and the results will come.”

The Vikings, who have only won three times in 10 games this season, struggled to keep up with the fast-paced run and gun style Thunder.

“Like any team, you try to get motivated to play the best and Algonquin is notoriously a great squad. A lot of it was a mental game. I know all the guys were getting flustered and it came up at halftime. But all the pressure was on them. They are the best team in the country, or have been in the past, and we’re here to play the upset,” said Vikings head coach Ryan Poser.

The upset was not to be, as the halftime tussle resulted in a greater sense of motivation and togetherness for Algonquin.

“Coach just told us to play with heart and we did. I got into it with a couple of their fans. I was just trying to rouse my teammates. Was it wrong? I think it was wrong, but whatever can keep my teammates going. The intent was just to get us sparked up a bit,” said Thunder captain Loui Legakis.

Midfielder Edwin Moran added a second-half goal, along with Beague, who tapped in his second of the night. But the game was somewhat overshadowed by the halftime incident.

“It was just donkeys from St. Lawrence that were just trying to get us going. We’re professional. Obviously every player, it’ll get to them because we want to win. When people are chirping you and you’re on top, it’s like what respect do you have?” said Beague, the team’s leading goal scorer.

The Thunder now look to the end of the season, towards provincials, and towards redemption at nationals.

“What motivated me is last year. We should have won nationals and every game I play, I treat it like a national final,” said Beague.

“If we’re not going to be focused now, we’re not going to be focused. This is it, do or die,” added Legakis.